Fully fit Flannery focused on winning World Cup send-off

ANOTHER 20 minutes in the bank for the fully rehabilitated Jerry Flannery and the Munster hooker is focusing on getting Ireland back into shape for a pre-World Cup send off against England next week.

The calf problem that threatened Flannery’s career has ceased to be a concern, leaving the 32-year-old to concentrate on helping deliver a first victory of the summer warm-up series of Tests on Saturday at the Aviva Stadium.

Flannery has been involved in all of the three August defeats as he carefully plots a route back to full match fitness, playing 19 minutes against Scotland and then 20 apiece in the away and home meetings with France.